Hunter Renfroe still has business to take care of in college, but he got to celebrate his professional future Thursday night.
The Mississippi State junior outfielder was drafted 13th overall by the San Diego Padres, just two days before his team takes on Virginia in the NCAA super regional round. Renfroe was in Charlottesville when his name was called, surrounded by family and friends.
“It’s pure elation for me and my family,” Renfroe said. “It’s just such a surreal feeling to hear your name called and realize you’re a first-round draft pick in professional baseball.”
Renfroe said he’d been talking with the Padres for a while, and they had “made it clear from the start they wanted to draft me,” he said. As happy as he is with being drafted, Renfroe is also glad it’s over with.
“It feels better to get the draft out of the way,” he said. “I can now focus on Virginia and the goal of getting to Omaha, because that’s my whole goal.”
Renfroe is batting .352 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs and a .634 slugging percentage. He and the No. 14-ranked Bulldogs (46-18) will open the Charlottesville Super Regional at noon Saturday.
This is the second consecutive year an MSU player has been drafted in the first round. Pitcher Chris Stratton, from Tupelo, was taken 20th by San Francisco last year.
Renfroe is the 12th Bulldog to go in the first round.
White Sox take Anderson
East Central Community College shortstop Tim Anderson was selected 17th by the Chicago White Sox.
A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Anderson played only two years of high school baseball. He broke out as a junior college sophomore, hitting .495 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs and 41 stolen bases.
He was a UAB signee.
Royals select Reed
Lefty pitcher Cody Reed, an Ole Miss signee from Northwest Mississippi Community College, was selected 46th overall by the Kansas City Royals. The 6-foot-5 Reed, from Horn Lake, emerged in the past year with a 95-mph fastball.
brad.locke@journalinc.com